SMCC 2016 Preview

SMCC finished last season with a record of 8-2 and is the two-time defending Huron League Champion. Coach Adam Kipf enters his 2nd season as the head coach of the Falcons and one of the most storied programs in MHSAA history.

The Falcons return only 3 starters on offense and must replace virtually the entire offensive line. Hunter Lizyness returns and will play tackle. Justin LaPlante will play TE again while Kevin LaPrad is the leading returning rusher.  Senior Dominic Flint will play the ever important role of signal caller in the Falcon straight T offense. Sophomore Nick Marino will play FB.

The SMCC defense returns only 3 starters as well. LaPlante and junior Wyatt O’Brien will be bookends on the defensive line while junior Collin Woolford will anchor an inexperienced defensive backfield.

This is the least amount of experience the Falcons have had since 2011 season when they finished 4-5. The offensive will be effective as usual, but SMCC’s success will be determined by their defense and special teams. The Falcons open up on Friday at Pewamo-Westphalia. The Pirates have been to Ford Field twice in the last 5 years and expect to return in 2016. Prediction: 4-3 League, 4-5 Overall

61 thoughts on “SMCC 2016 Preview”

  1. Too bad about Vuich. My neighbor played with Vuich. Too bad he left, can't beat Toledo on close to home and tuition.

  2. Vuich no longer at University of Toledo, I heard he is up in Midland. I see the SMCC JV team got smoked last night. This program has been great, but like its enrollment on its way down. 3-6 is the best it can muster this year.

  3. Those that are Catholic would just send their kids to Cathloic school (back in the day). You would not know, unless they were "the kid next door."

  4. Lets all just join the winning schools in the league. Lets say Huron, CC, Milan and Riverview. School of choice. Who needs Flat Rock, Jefferson, and GI and Airport. Everybody should be very good and happy then.

    Oh, Crap CC already does that.

    I would agree that this is a very old and tiring subject. In the real world when people continue to complain about something, something is done about it. None of us can assemble that many kids from that many different school districts legally. A higher force needs to step in. Until something is done, people will complain about this old and tiring subject.

    It is sad that schooling has now become a business. What happened to growing up and going to school with the kid next door.

  5. 10:13 NAILED IT. If a program wins a few games, people flock to it. No real camaraderie anymore. Just like the CYO. Much of it combined now. Disappointing.

  6. again, the football team consists of players who either had parents who attended SMCC and or played in the CYO.

    1. What's your point with this comment? If anything this goes against the "recruiting" mentality and confirms some athletic kids come from athletic parents that also believe in the importance of Catholic Education, regardless of what school district they live in.

  7. Anyone smart knows that recruiting has nothing to do with it. It's about kids playing for schools coming from different school districts. The bottom line is when that happens, more good kids end up on a team.

  8. Chris. I thought I had two good posts referencing the difference between public and private talking about Hudson and Mendon etc. was it a bad post? Thought they were both very good arguments with good info. No big deal just wondered

  9. Let's talk about football now. This has been discussed over and over and the haters still can't name a "recruited" player.

  10. I didn't say that. What I said, was every kid that applied to college that had planned on going to college when they started at their school was most likely was accepted to college.

    What you have at a public school is usually over half of the student body never plans or applies to any college or university at all. So most public schools place 50% in college depending on the area.

    My argument is strictly based on the fact that every kid that goes to SMCC plans on going to college when they start there in the 9th grade. It would only make sense that they are all accepted somewhere. I am arguing that every kid that plans on going to college in the public school most likely ends up accepted to a college as well.

    SMCC is a College Prep Catholic School. All schools in the Huron League most likely offer a College Prep curriculum for students intending on going to college.

    No offense, but if you don't understand that rational, then you most likely didn't go to college.;)

  11. With all due respect to SMCC. 100% of those students most likely planned on going to college when they started at SMCC. I'm sure I could argue that every student at Airport, Flat Rock, Huron, Milan, Riverview, Jefferson and Grosse Ile that planned on going to college when they got there and applied to college, was accepted at a college.

  12. Those that pay attention realize it's the same last names every year at SMCC. This year is no difference. Flint, LaPlante, Haut, O'brian, Lizyness, Marino, Laprad. I could go on. All of which whose Mother, Father attended or coached at SMCC or the kids played in the Catholic Youth Organization. Very very few do not belong in that category. I'd say more people in the band are in that category than the football team. SMCC boasts 100% college placement. If I were a parent, that would entice me more than winning football games.

  13. Lako at Akron, Vuich at Toledo. They are several kids just named in this short part of the blog. No other school around here has that many.

    Parents are more interested in uprooting their kids to go to a different school and be successful at sports than really invest in their own community and school system.
    This isn't just for SMCC, Milan's home page advertises school of choice all over it. I get other school advertisements in my mail all the time, SMCC advertises on the local transit system. This is ridiculous to me.
    It is by far much more gratifying to make the very best of what you have in your area, try your best, help out with your own area school, than jump the fence, join the winning crowd and leave all the kids and parents you grew up with. Some of us have respect for our roots. My kids were both asked a few times to go to SMCC. Not recruited, just asked because they are good athletes. We stayed at our home school and are very happy. That is not for everyone. People transfer kids in a heartbeat now-a-days for the most ridiculous reasons. Good luck to the who have, may your dreams come true.

    NO LOSERS HERE. JUST THOSE OUT THERE AFRAID TO LOSE AND MUST JOIN THE WINNING CROWD.

  14. You do know that SMCC has lost to the little towns of Clinton, Constantine, Clarenceville, Ithaca, Montague, Ravenna, Leslie, Kingsley, Hudson and Blissfield in the playoffs, all in the last 15 years. right? SMCC has a great program a great one, but this goes to show you anyone can win in this game.

    A great Coach with supportive parents and administration are the key to success. Once you get that, the winning happens and kids want to play for you. Its that "simple".

    Those that whine about recruiting are most often uninformed and more often.. LOSERS in life.

    1. I agree with your statement about coaches, not so much with the losers in life statement. There are many things that can be considered a win even if you lose. Just because someone cries a bit doesn't make them a loser. It just makes them sore cause they lost. And that my friend will make you better. I have always told my kids, if you can't handle losing, you will never be able to handle winning.
      #9 Dad

    2. And sometimes people mistake excuses for facts. I do know one thing, it's a lot harder for someone who expects to win at everything to accept a loss, more so than someone trying to better them selves and looking for positives in a loss. Be humble.
      #9 Dad

  15. Ithaca. East GR. Mendon… Its a big list of dominant publics as well. Rouge is building something. They are the favs in D4 this year.

  16. Lol the same guys that applaud Chris for all his knowledge and how well he runs this blog are the same people that say he doesn't know anything when he says something favorable in SMCC's direction.

    1. Who said he doesn't know what he is talking about? Chris has been doing the Huron league a while, some of us just give our opinion or disagree. I think SMCC strives to be the best at what ever they do. Playing them makes you better. Milan won back to back league titles. If your going to win the league, you have to beat SMCC. People can complain that they recruit, or bring in Monroes best, it really doesn't matter and I really don't care. I for one want to play the best teams out there. It will only make you better. I've been watching Huron league football for 6 years now and I think the majority of the league is very competitive. Who wants to go 9-0 against teams that are considered cupcake wins? Not me. That's for sure.
      #9 Dad

    2. I am with you #9 Dad. Like Tom Hanks said in the movie A league of their own "It's the hard that makes it good".

  17. 400 students playing teams with much bigger enrollments. As the Dad said above, SMCC gets everyone he's best effort. Never been afraid to schedule too out of league games. See this year for the latest example. Yet SMCC has the 16th best winning % in the entire state. Multiple trips to The Silverdome and Ford Field and 2 state titles. Yes. That is one of the most storied programs in MHSAA history. Haters gonna hate.

    1. If all the kids played for Monroe, it would really mean something lol. That's why I hate school of choice. What do you prove if you win with a bunch of kids that are not from the same area. Nothing against SMCC, but like so many people, against private schools competing with public schools.

      What did Milan prove winning a state title with two D-1 kids from Ypsi and AA. What does Detroit Cathlic Central prove by wining a state title with players from 15 different school districts.

      Detroit Loyloa beating Homer a few years ago by 40 in the Semi-finals. Orchard Lake Saint Mary's bearing New Boston by 50 in the Semi's. Muskegon CC beat D-4 state finalists Detroit Country Day a few years back and then beat every team in Divison 8 by 3 touchdowns on their way to A state title. Just a few examples and all have their own opinion, but at the end of the day…..Now the public schools are catching up in the school of choice/recruiting game. Cass Tech, King, Bellivllle, Oak Park, Skyline, Saline…. Just to name a few.

  18. #9 Dad is absolutely right. Even a young SMCC team will always run their schemes better than you can possibly simulate in practice. The SMCC game will always be circled on everyone's schedule each year.

  19. I think 5-4 overall is low. I am not one to base my opinion off JV from a prior season either. I know they lost a lot and our young. I know they have top notch coaches there so they should be able to win 4 or 5 games due to coaching. Just my opinion.
    #9 Dad

  20. Storied in MHSAA history. Wow, we probably should give them the win based on that. Of the top 20 programs in the state, 15 of them are private, other 5 are class A. We know where all this could go. You started it, not me. Aside from the storied program comment, I think they will have an average season, with a back down to earth, normal recruiting class. 4-5 or 5-4 is probably a good estimate, maybe even a 6-3 with a few late season surprise wins.

    1. The definition of "recruited" can be very blurry. I don't believe SMCC coaches will necessarily recruit but I do believe they put that in the hands of some of the parents.

    2. Winning recruits. It's as simple as that. And the fact that Sandersen and Giarmo were the best coaches around. That might help.

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